Blog

Any trivia fans out there? Check out New Year for the Strays Trivia night! This is by far the best one I’ve ever been to! Not only can you win the trivia portion but there’s games between rounds, grab bags you can purchase, and a silent auction with so many amazing items! Emerge has TWO teams going this year! Get a team together and we’d love to see you there! If you have any questions, let me know.

“Our Purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” -Dalai Lama
The 6th Annual Get Fit for Fido has come and gone. Today, the Emerge staff loaded up a truck full of donated items and delivered them to Five Acres Animal Shelter. Between the raffles and t-shirt sales, we also raised over $900.

Six years ago, I never could have imagined that Fido would be as big as it is now. When the idea had come up, I figured that we’d raise enough food and toys to give all of the animals a great Christmas. Now, we supply them with enough goods that it can help them for 4-6 months. The money we raised, will help spay and neuter as well as take care of medical treatments that a dog/cat may need. Each year Five Acres rescues and adopts out over 600 dogs and cats. This year may even be 700. I like the cycle that is happening. Our event gets bigger each year and they adopt out more animals each year (I wish I could take credit for this coincidence).

It never crossed my mind that Emerge would be known as “The gym that helps out dogs and cats,” but I smile every time the staff or I hear that. We love our community. We love to give back and help others.

Emerge would just like to say Thank You. The donations, sharing our event on social media, and inviting friends to come. The many ways you helped make Get Fit for Fido are greatly appreciated.

A special Thank You to Mike Marshall for being our truck driver to deliver everything!

Want to burn some extra calories before heading off to your festivities on Christmas Eve? Join me on December 24th at 8:00 AM for an “Ugly Christmas Sweater Bootcamp”! There will be a sign up sheet up front at Emerge starting next week. Cost is $10. The uglier the sweater, the better!

Emerge would like to introduce the latest addition to our all star staff:

Coach Keelin Russell

-United States of America Track and Field (USATF) Level 1 Coach

-Running Coach, W.I.T.S.

-JrFit youth Fitness Specialty Certification

-N.E.S.T.A. Certified

-W.I.T.S. Certified Personal Trainer

-St. Josephs Academy Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach

-B.S. Northwest Missouri State University

-M.A. Yale University

-PhD University of Iowa

-4000 hours experience in personal training

Health and fitness have always been a part of my lifestyle. I have participated in a wide range of competitive sports, including swimming, soccer, basketball, dance, and volleyball, since I was three years old, and in high school I focused on playing field hockey and running track and field. After graduating high school, I went on to become a multiple All-American sprinter and jumper in college.

After graduating from Northwest Missouri State University, I earned my MA in Anthropological Science from Yale University, all while maintaining my interest in promoting healthy lifestyles by being a Graduate and Professional Wellness Ambassador on campus and was on the dance team. While finishing my PhD in Anthropology from Iowa, I realized that I am most passionate about working directly with people in improving their health and I became a personal trainer, a JrFit Youth Specialist trainer, a running coach, and a USATF track and field coach.

Over the past four years, I have worked with people of all different backgrounds, ages, abilities, and goals, including weight loss, group training, boot camps, athletic training, and sports conditioning. Recently, I went back to where I graduated high school, St. Joseph’s Academy, and became the head cross country and head track and field coach. I love knowing that every day I get the chance to positively change and improve another person’s life in so many different ways.